


flew like a moth to you, sunlight

by sxndazed



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Kinda, M/M, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, POV Miya Atsumu, Pining, baker!Atsumu, mentioned: osakita, supplier!Hinata
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:48:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27353743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sxndazed/pseuds/sxndazed
Summary: "And now you're here," he states because he doesn't think he could imagine a moment where Shouyou isn't.Shouyou looks at him and beams. "Now I'm here."In which Atsumu is a baker, and Hinata is his produce supplier.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu, Miya Atsumu & Miya Osamu
Comments: 38
Kudos: 227
Collections: My beloved stories





	flew like a moth to you, sunlight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Slumber](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slumber/gifts).



> Sorry this took me a bit to get done! This is sort of a mishmash of a bunch of things, but I hope you like it! <3

The dough hits the countertop with a hard slap.

Atsumu grabs it, kneads it, and throws it back down.

Over and over and over again.

_Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap._

The slaps grow louder, and he's probably overworking the dough at this point, but he can't stop. His hands are still raw, and his face hurts from the screaming match he had with Osamu a few hours ago, but he can't bring himself to let go. They're getting warmer and warmer, and it's going to fuck up the dough if he can't control his hands, but he still doesn't stop.

So he grabs the dough, kneads it, and throws it back down.

Again and again and again.

The slap is loud enough that it covers the sound of footsteps as someone enters the kitchen. When Atsumu picks up on it, he stops mistreating the dough, but he keeps his eyes on the counter.

The faucet's on, and the water is rushing out into a cup. It's only a few seconds, but it feels like years are washed away in that moment.

Atsumu hears the faucet shut off and can feel someone settle beside him at the corner of the counter. He hears the tearing of paper and a tea bag plopping into the water as it starts to boil in the mug, but his eyes are still on the dough. The bubbles building with each passing second punctuates the silence. It grows louder, and the water boils vigorously before settling down into a slight simmer. And then silence.

Atsumu's hand aches, and the silence is heavy.

He waits. Waits and waits and waits.

He holds his breath, then grabs the dough with slightly cooler hands and begins to knead. He can hear an exhale, and he too, let’s go.

"'M not gonna apologize."

The dough flattens under his palm.

"I know ya ain't gonna either."

Excess flour cakes under his nails from the repeated motion.

"We don't hafta do everythin’ together."

His head snaps over and he looks at Osamu, mouth open and ready to yell, but nothing comes out.

_I know, ya asshat, but we do everythin’ together._

_I always do everything with ya—I always have._

_What if I'm afraid to not do everythin’ with ya?_

_What if I'm afraid that what I have is not enough?_

What comes out instead is, "Fuck off."

Osamu pushes himself off of the counter with his mug in hand. His socked feet barely make any sound as he steps out, leaving Atsumu alone. The dough sits between his hand, a little tight and overworked from all of the kneading. He grabs the bowl he set aside on the counter and plops the dough in before covering it with a cloth.

Atsumu takes a breath. He places the bowl in the fridge for an overnight proof and washes his hands before heading to their room for the night.

They lay in silence, and Atsumu doesn't sleep as well as he normally does.

He wakes up early enough that the sun is just barely coming up over the horizon. The dough comes out of the fridge, and he holds it in his hands to gently coax it to room temp as he preps it to be baked. He pulls out a dutch oven from the bottom cabinet, and places the loaf in the center before scoring it and securing the lid on top. Sunlight pours in from the window when he puts the bread in the oven, and it warms his skin as he closes the oven door.

Osamu's feet softly pad against the floor when Atsumu's about to cut into the bread. Atsumu waves a hand over it to bring down the temperature before holding it once it's cool to the touch. The knife carves through the crust—the crumbs flying all over the place. The crumb texture is tight from the harsh kneading, but it's good enough. Atsumu slices off a couple of pieces and slightly warms one in his hands before holding it out for Osamu to take without even looking.

His eyes are trained on the bread when he declares, "I'm gonna be the happier twin. So ya can go and do whatever the fuck ya want, but I'll be havin’ a better time."

There's a pause, their breaths the only source of noise, before he hears a laugh.

"Whatever, 'Sumu."

Atsumu grabs the other slice laying on the board, and the crunch from when they both take a bite fills the room.

* * *

The weekly special is a plum tart.

It's late into autumn, and plums aren't really in season anymore, but that's not stopping Atsumu from making it. The box of plums he got delivered yesterday are the European kind, a vibrant, deep purple, especially in the soft lighting of the early morning. On the wooden workspace sits the dough for the crust perfectly laminated and chilled while he warms up the rolling pin, dusted with flour, in his hands just slightly to make sure the dough is pliable when rolled out. He lays the sheet of dough over the tart tin and gently pushes it in, making sure every nook and cranny is filled. Atsumu grabs a fork and pricks the dough before placing in and arranging the thinly sliced plums. With a sprinkle of sugar, he places it in the oven and waits.

He's setting up the display case when the timer goes off. He pulls the tart out of the oven and brushes an apricot glaze over top before holding the tin in his hands and gently cooling it down to room temp. It shines in the warm light of the kitchen, and the air fills with a sweet warmth. When it's cool to the touch, Atsumu eases it out of the pan and cuts it into slices before putting in the display case. Each slice sits on a doily, deep purple and with a sheen the rising sun catches.

Rinse and repeat.

He's got thirty-two slices ready to be sold by the time it's 8:00, and the sign by the door is flipped to 'open.' There's water boiling in the back as Ami gets it ready for the tea and coffee and a shouted "Welcome!" when the first customer of the day walks in. Their eyes glimmer in delight at the sight of a plum tart so late in the year. A quick wave of his hand and Atsumu's got it nice and warm and into the customer's hands within seconds.

Atsumu makes another three throughout the day and sells out of all of them before he closes.

He makes a mental note to text Shouyou to tell him thanks as he hands over the last slice.

* * *

Atsumu meets Shouyou for the first time when he's hovering in the kitchen of Onigiri Miya waiting for Osamu to make him lunch.

He's got a day off, so of course he's going to use the opportunity to mooch off from his brother when he can. He can admit that Osamu is too good at what he does, and he’ll gladly prove it by tasting everything.

He's got his elbows on the counter as he’s ranting about a customer from yesterday ("He thought the tea was too hot! It's the fucking exact temperature it needs to be!" "Maybe he just didn't like you." "Rude, 'Samu!") while Osamu's shaping rice and swatting his arms when someone comes in from the back.

All of his complaints trail off when Atsumu looks at who came in, and he can feel any coherent thoughts leave his head and his mouth gape just a bit. The guy's got bright orange hair hidden under a cap, and Atsumu can see the way his shirt clings to his arms which also happen to be flexed—oh fuck is he drooling?

"Here's the new batch you asked for, Miya-san!" He announces like his very presence doesn't call for everyone's attention.

"Thank ya, Shouyou-kun. Also, ya know ya can just call me Osamu. Especially when I've got this idiot over here."

Atsumu's about to let out a yell, but his indignation is cut short by the brightest and loveliest laugh he's ever heard. Fuck.

"Sorry, Osamu-san. I'll try to remember next time!"

Mr. Loveliest-Laugh-Ever turns his head and looks over at Atsumu, and he swears his heart skips a beat at the sight.

"You must be Atsumu-san!" He says this with the biggest smile and introduces himself as Hinata Shouyou, produce supplier for Onigiri Miya for the past few months, and Atsumu is dead. Absolutely done for. What the fuck. Atsumu thinks about the curry onigiri he had a few months back and how he couldn't figure out why it tasted better than before. Actually, everything’s been tasting really fucking good, especially the vegetables. The dots line up, and Atsumu thinks Shouyou is magic already. He's almost unable to reply until he feels Osamu jab him in the stomach with his elbow.

"Oh, uh, yeah." He sounds like an idiot, feels like one, but it's better than gaping at him like a fish.

"Sorry, 'Sumu's got pretty bad manners. How about ya take some food before going? It's the least I could do since ya came over on yer off day." Osamu hands over a take-out container with some onigiri stuffed inside, and Shouyou takes it with glee.

"Thanks Mi- ah- Osamu-san! See ya next week!" Shouyou's nearly out the door before he looks back right at Atsumu.

"Bye Atsumu-san!"

Atsumu has his hand up in a pathetic wave before looking over at Osamu and feeling a little lost.

"Smooth."

"Shut it!"

He grumbles as he stuffs an onigiri in his mouth and feels appeased when he leaves full and with Shouyou's business card in hand.

* * *

Hinata Shouyou is not the only produce supplier in Osaka, not by a long shot, but he's the best the city has to offer.

Atsumu learns this when he tags along during Osamu's visit to see Shouyou. He's been thinking about finding another supplier and figures that seeing Shouyou would be a good place to start ("Pretty sure ya just think he's hot and want to see him again." 

"Fuck off, 'Samu.").

Shouyou's got a pretty big setup for being the only one running the business ("A friend of mine helped me pay for it!"). There are a few rows of planters and a few vertical ones that take up less space. Clusters of pots are scattered around the area, and Shouyou walks Atsumu and Osamu through to show them around. He points out some new things he’s been experimenting with (a couple of new types of potatoes, some new apples) and other things that Osamu might be interested in trying.

Shouyou's got all kinds of goodies, and a lot of them are hard to find in the city. There's even stuff that isn't in season but still manages to grow full and ripe. Atsumu's in awe, and he finds himself trying to set up a contract after Osamu's done finalising his orders for the next month. It's not just because Shouyou's hot (and he really fucking his), but Atsumu feels this sort of anticipation, this giddy feeling that whatever comes from this partnership will be fucking amazing. He can tell that Shouyou deeply cares about what he does, can see it in the way he knows his plants and what they need, can see it in the excitement that threatens to spill over when he talks about what he has and how gentle and caring and loving he is with his surroundings. Shouyou puts everything into what he does, and Atsumu feels like he's met his match.

When he tells Shouyou that he wants to work with him, his eyes glimmer and his smile grows impossibly wide, and Atsumu feels his heart hammer in his chest. Atsumu walks out with a scheduled delivery in the next couple of weeks and Shouyou's number in his phone (which he thankfully didn't put in before).

He can't fucking wait.

* * *

It takes a few weeks before Atsumu is able to make anything for Shouyou to try. He's dropped by to deliver shipments, but he's never able to stay for very long. Atsumu always tries to drag out their conversation to get him to linger, and the apologetic way Shouyou smiles at him before leaving makes Atsumu think that he wants to stay a little longer too. He extends an invitation to Shouyou, offering to bake him something if he'd like to swing by in a stutter standing at the door right as he mounts his bike. Atsumu feels a bit like an idiot, but the "I'll take you up on that" he gets in return makes him think that maybe being an idiot isn't so bad.

That being said, Atsumu is still caught off guard and surprised when the door swings open and in comes Shouyou one morning. His "Welcome!" is mangled at the end, and he hates the way his face warms in embarrassment. Ami’s cackling in the kitchen, and Atsumu groans at the thought of the teasing he'll undergo later when they’re alone. She’s probably going to text Osamu too, and he’ll never live it down at this point.

"Aw Atsumu-san, aren't you happy to see me?" he pouts. Shouyou is going to be the death of him, Atsumu thinks.

"'Course I am. I just didn't expect ya."

"Well you invited me! How could I not show up?"

"R-right. What can I get for ya?"

He watches as Shouyou takes his time to survey the display case, his eyes roaming each of the rows before settling. Atsumu's hand twitches by his side and fiddles with his apron.

"Can I get the apple pie? And a black tea?"

"Sure, ya staying here to eat?"

"Yeah."

"'kay, I'll get that out for ya in a bit."

Atsumu moves to grab a plate and take the apple pie from the display case to put on it. When he looks up, he sees Shouyou still standing there rummaging through his wallet. Their eyes meet as Shouyou pulls out money and tries to hand it to him.

"What are ya doing?"

Shouyou looks at him like he's being dumb. "Paying you?"

"Nah, don't worry about it."

"Don't be silly. I want to pay."

"And I'm tellin' ya not to worry 'bout it."

"Atsumu-san."

"Shouyou-kun."

His brows are furrowed, and his cheeks are puffed, and fuck he's so stubborn.

"I'm serious. Yer helpin' me out a lot already. T'least I can do for ya."

The determination in Shouyou's eyes wanes only the slightest bit, but he still takes his hand back and puts away the money.

"I'm paying next time," he declares.

"Next time," he promises in return.

Atsumu turns his attention back to Shouyou's order and grabs a mug and a strainer. He plucks a bag of black tea from the shelf and pours some of it into the strainer before adding water. The mug sits in his hands, and Atsumu gently adjusts the temperature to properly brew the tea and not overdo it. When he’s satisfied, the mug is placed on a tray alongside the pie and some utensils, and Atsumu waves a hand over it to make it warm. He makes sure Ami takes over the front before he takes the tray and walks over to where Shouyou is sitting by the window. She’s got a cheeky grin on her face and gives him a thumbs-up, and Atsumu rolls his eyes in return as he walks over.

When he places everything down on the table, Shouyou's eyes brighten with excitement, and Atsumu relaxes his shoulders in response. He decides to linger off to the side and watch as Shouyou grabs the fork and digs into the pie. His body tenses as he holds his breath while watching Shouyou chew.

"WUAH!"

Atsumu startles at his, but at least he's breathing again.

"Is that a good 'WUAH' or a bad one?"

"Atsumu-san! It's amazing. The apples are so tender and the pastry is flaky and buttery, and it isn't even that sweet! It's so good."

"Oh," he feels faint. "I'm glad."

"You're really good, Atsumu-san. Osamu-san was right when he said you're amazing at baking."

Atsumu's eyes widen, and Shouyou continues to eat without a care in the world as though he didn't say something Atsumu thought he'd never hear. Of course he knows Osamu thinks he's good, just like he thinks Osamu's good. To hear it from someone else is another thing though.

(He thinks about calling Osamu up and holding it over him, but he decides to file it away for now.)

"Atsumu-san," and Atsumu's pulled back into the moment.

"Yeah, Shouyou-kun?"

"If all of your stuff tastes like this, I don't think I'll be able to stop coming." Shouyou's looking at him with crumbs on his face and amazement (and adoration? Maybe? Hopefully?) in his eyes. Atsumu drinks it in, wants to reach out and brush the crumbs away—just to touch, and feels greedy for wanting to see this all the time.

"Good, 'm always open for ya anyway."

"You mean it?" he asks, with a softness that Atsumu doesn't quite understand.

"Yeah," he promises.

He dangerously thinks he could give Shouyou a lifetime of promises.

* * *

Shouyou starts to come by more often after that.

Sometimes it's a quick stop to buy a drink before heading off to his next delivery. Other times, he's able to sit down for about an hour in the morning and try something new each time he comes in. It's not very often, but Shouyou tries to eat in at least once a week. He's slowly trying to make his way through Atsumu's display case (he gets distracted by the weekly specials though), and Atsumu's pleased that he's got enough things on the menu, and some stuff to rotate in, to keep Shouyou coming around for at least a few months. Ami's been teasing the shit out of him whenever Shouyou visits (“You’re so infatuated—it’s almost disgusting”), but it's worth it. Mostly. 

Lately though, he's been experimenting with all of the new stuff Shouyou brings him, and if he decides to make Shouyou a taste tester to keep him coming around more often, then well, that’s totally a benefit he didn’t think about before. Yeah, totally. 

"Here." Atsumu hands him a small to-go box.

"Oh! What's this, Atsumu-san?"

"Something new I've been workin' on. The pumpkins ya've been givin' me are real ni-Woah there, Shouyou-kun. Take it easy."

Shouyou looks at him with wide eyes, puffed cheeks, and a bit of powdered sugar by his mouth as though he's been caught. Atsumu's kind of stupidly fond.

"Mmph- it's mmmph- good!"

"Geez, ya could at least wait until after ya swallow."

"How am I supposed to wait when you hand me something new to try? They're always so gooood."

Atsumu flushes, he seems to be doing that a lot around Shouyou, and the shy sort of pleasure he feels radiates throughout his body.

"I'd offer to make ya something else to try, but I gotta save the pumpkins for the rest of the week."

Shouyou's eyes light up and he exclaims, "Oh! You can come by my place! I still have a ton of pumpkins and other squashes if you want? You can bake there!"

"Oh." _Oh._ He's just been invited to Shouyou's place. _Shouyou's place._ Oh my god.

"You don't have to if you don't want to! I just thought that maybe you'd like to experiment more? And I'm always up to try anything you make, Atsumu-san! But it's on short notice, so if you can't that's fi-"

"I'd like to. Um, go, that is."

"Oh." His eyes are wide, and Atsumu fidgets and thinks maybe he shouldn't have said that. Maybe Shouyou was just being a nice guy. Yeah. That tracks. Shouyou’s always really nice, so maybe he only extended the invitation out of courtesy. It's only normal to offer to be-

"That's great! You can meet me at the greenhouse when you're done for the day, and we'll grab everything you need and walk over to my place."

Okay, maybe he was just overreacting. Yeah, he does that.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Okay! Yeah! I'll see you later, Atsumu-san," he yells as he heads out the door.

"See you later."

_Oh man, what did he get himself into?_

Atsumu shows up at the greenhouse shortly after closing up.

Well, technically he left before closing because Ami shooed him out of the store.

("Go spend time with him! I know you've been waiting all day with your giddy face and your inability to stay still."

"But this is my shop!"

"Go! I've got it! You wouldn't have hired me if you didn't think I could do it.")

He texted Shouyou to ask if he should bring anything, but all he got in reply was "Just bring yourself!" with a thumbs up emoji. He might have gotten stupidly red after reading it, but that's beside the point. He’s just thankful that Ami wasn’t around to take a picture of him. 

Atsumu's still wearing his uniform, a deep brown long-sleeve shirt with a cake embroidered on the upper left, with a light jacket since it's getting pretty cold. He's about to text Shouyou that he's here when he's greeted by a pop of orange.

"Atsumu-san! Come in!"

He shuffles in after Shouyou and watches as Shouyou guides him through the rows of produce. He still isn’t the most familiar with the layout, so he appreciates the brief rehashing of where everything is.

"Have you eaten yet?" Atsumu shakes his head. "Ah, I figured. I was thinking I could cook us something and then you can bake afterwards, if that's alright? Okay, cool!"

He continues to follow Shouyou down the rows and watches him dip his hands into the soil and roll it through his fingers before dusting them and moving on. Each stem is gently caressed, and dry patches are watered as Shouyou talks to him about each of the plants.

"Does it help? To do that?" he asks.

There's a glint in Shouyou's eyes, and he smiles in response.

"Yeah. I would think it's not too different from what you do with your hands, Atsumu-san."

His eyes widen in return. "Temperature?"

"Nope," and his mouth pops around the 'p.' "It just helps them grow."

He turns to look at Atsumu. "I can tell you more about it, if you want? Over dinner?"

There's a flush over his cheeks, and Atsumu recognises the anxious worry in his features.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Shouyou beams in return.

"Okay, let's grab everything and go."

Atsumu learns that there's life in Hinata Shouyou's hands.

It's more of a subtle thing ("I can't raise the dead or anything like that."), but he uses it to coax plants that are struggling into health and grow produce that's normally out of season. Berries in the winter, and squashes in the spring. Shouyou can grow anything all year round, even if it's in smaller quantities than other producers, and it always tastes like it’s perfectly in season. Even if it's normally not available in the area. He's got a small list of clients, but it allows him to deliver the best produce without struggling to keep up with demand.

"It's how I ended up working with Osamu-san! He needed a couple of things that his other supplier didn't have since it wasn't due until next week, but I had the stuff all ready to go. Osamu-san's been very good to me."

Atsumu leans against the kitchen counter, watching Shouyou grab ingredients and prep them for dinner.

("Curry alright with you?"

"Yeah.")

There are pots all throughout the apartment, or at least from what Atsumu can see, and a mini garden of herbs at the windowsill by the sink. Shouyou caresses each of the leaves before snipping them and gathering them for the curry.

"Help me peel and cut the vegetables?"

Atsumu pushes himself off of the counter and walks over to stand by his side and get to work.

They work in silence, only the peeling and slicing of vegetables and meat filling the void.

"I went to Brazil for a bit, after school."

Atsumu looks at him in surprise and listens with rapt attention as Shouyou continues.

"I wanted to cook when I was younger, but I wasn't very good at it. Turns out having your way with the ingredients doesn't always translate into the final product.

"I learned how to appreciate being able to grow stuff really well though. I didn't need to be the best cook when I could be a supplier to some of the best people.

"And besides, I always liked growing plants and taking care of them more than I liked cooking. I still like cooking, but this was where I could be at my best.

"I worked with a bunch of suppliers to learn how to best grow stuff. Brazil's pretty good with that, and I wanted to learn everything.

"But nothing quite beats being in Japan and being able to grow things even in the harshest of winters. So I came back."

_Chop. Peel. Slice._

The curry stews over the stovetop burner, and Shouyou diligently stirs it. Atsumu thinks that's how Shouyou goes through life in general. Diligently, as though the anxiety can't touch him if he is. Standing there, with socked feet, tanned skin, and orange hair that glows under the warm kitchen light, is Hinata Shouyou, diligent and bright and _good,_ and Atsumu's chest aches. He thinks about how Shouyou’s had to go so far to learn and to prove himself capable, and Atsumu aches at the familiarity he feels, at how it resonates with him. 

"And now you're here," he states because he doesn't think he could imagine a moment where Shouyou isn't.

Shouyou looks at him and beams. "Now I'm here."

"What about you?" Shouyou asks after dinner, when he leans against the counter as Atsumu is busy laminating the puff pastry.

"What about me?"

Shouyou gives him a deadpan stare, and Atsumu laughs.

"Tell me about your hands?"

So, he does.

Atsumu tells Shouyou about growing up with Osamu. They fought a lot and still do—it’s hard not to, but he relied a lot on Osamu in the past. He liked having him around, enjoyed not having to save face because it didn’t really matter if he was alone. Atsumu was never really alone.

They’re pretty similar (of course, they’re twins), but they’ve got their differences too. He's got a good grasp on subtle temperature changes, on keeping things cool or warm when they need to be. Everything is regulated around him, and it helped him gravitate towards baking at the start. Butter never melted too early and dough always proved at the right temp. He could speed up the cooling process and warm things up for people to enjoy. Everything was always just right.

It was easy.

Osamu was a bit of the same, but mostly different. He dealt with extreme temperature changes. He could make fish cold enough to freeze and water hot enough to boil. Everything was always just right, but in a way that Atsumu wasn’t entirely familiar with. Osamu gravitated towards cooking, and the two of them grew up in a household full of love and care and food.

The timer goes off and Shouyou goes to get him the pumpkin that was roasting in the oven. He spoons it into a bowl and adds in more spices and a bit of cream before blending it with an immersion blender to smooth it out. His attention turns back to the dough, and Shouyou's eyes remain on him.

"'Samu and I thought about openin' up a place together back then. It seemed like the most obvious thing, and everyone thought so too.

"He wanted to go and do his own thing though. Can't say I blame 'im, but it sucked to hear it before we finished school."

He grabs a knife from the block and starts cutting out squares from the sheet of dough he rolled out.

“Our fight lasted like two days. Everyone left us alone so we would sort it out, and I don’t know if ya’ve noticed, but we’re kind of stubborn.” Shouyou snorts, and Atsumu grins in response.

“Had a fist fight and everythin’, but we sorta made up after I made some bread and he gave me some fatty tuna. Went back to petty fights and cookin’ together the next day.”

Atsumu rolls up the scraps and tries to get a few more squares out of it.

"You didn't want to do something on your own too?"

"Nah. I think I was scared. It was always 'Samu and me. Was kinda hard to be left alone without any say."

He sees Shouyou nod as he mixes up the pumpkin filling and puts it in a makeshift piping bag. He pipes a large dollop onto the center of each puff, making sure that his hands don't get too warm and loosen the filling.

"So 'Samu opened up his shop, and I opened up my own. We did a lot of catering jobs to supplement our mom's funds, but it worked out in the end."

Atsumu finishes piping onto the last square and brushes them with egg wash after putting them on a tray and places it into the oven.

"So that's how you ended up here?" Shouyou asks.

"Yeah, that’s how I ended up here."

Each of the pies are brushed with an apricot glaze for a shiny finish when they come out of the oven. He’s quick to cool them all down right after, so they can get to eating them sooner. Atsumu borrowed a bit of wax paper to make a jack o'lantern pattern and placed it over the pie. He handed a duster to Shouyou and had him dust powder sugar over it as he got rid of the excess and moved on to the next pie.

Dust. Toss. Repeat.

He grabs a bar of dark chocolate from his bag

("I have chocolate! You didn't have to bring any!"

"Yeah but this is the good stuff!"

"Are you saying I don't have good stuff?"

"Wha- No!")

and shaves it into curls. Each of the curls get placed on a pie, and Atsumu plates up two of them.

"Here ya go, pumpkin pie."

Shouyou's eyes are glittery with excitement, and it makes Atsumu feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety when he hands over the plate. He leaves his untouched as he watches Shouyou take a bite and immediately close his eyes and hum. When he opens them, he looks directly at Atsumu and smiles.

"Atsumu-san! This is amazing! Have you made these before?"

"Nah. Got some inspiration thoug-," he cuts himself off and looks down, but it's a little too late. Atsumu's face flushes and he feels himself get a little too warm and curses his tendency to speak without thinking. Osamu would be having a field day if he knew.

"Inspiration, huh?" He can hear the smile in Shouyou's voice, and Atsumu sees it on his face when he looks up. It's teasing, but it's also soft and warm.

"Yeah," he answers after a beat.

Shouyou's smile grows wider, and they continue to eat.

It's pretty late by the time they finish eating and cleaning up, so Atsumu excuses himself. He has to wake up early to open up the shop, and he doesn't want to keep Shouyou from getting some rest when he has deliveries to make tomorrow too.

They fight over who gets to keep the leftovers before he’s able to leave though. Atsumu insists that Shouyou keeps them, but Shouyou packs up half of them and some curry, saying it's only fair.

"I can't keep taking stuff for free from you, Atsumu-san!"

"Whaddya mean free? You cooked! And I used your stuff!"

"And you baked! You're always doing so much for me, Atsumu-san. It's not fair."

"What does that mean?"

Shouyou looks at him sheepishly, like he's been caught out. His eyes linger on the floor, shifting, before he lifts his head and looks right at Atsumu.

"You're the first person who's ever asked me to be their supplier."

He shifts his body from side to side.

"I usually have to ask people to give me a chance, and I get it. It’s hard to put your trust in someone who’s not very known, and having a close and steady partnership is hard to come by. But you came and asked me, and you wanted to work with. You have no idea how happy it made me, Atsumu-san.

"So, here. You're taking some of the leftovers! And I won't take no for an answer!"

His cheeks are puffed, and he's got this look of determination that makes Atsumu fall a little bit in love. He takes the bag from Shouyou's hand, the tips of his fingers lingering against his for a brief moment before they pull away.

"Well, I can't disappoint my supplier now, can I? He's the best one I know."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Shouyou walks him to the door—their fingers nearly brushing as they walk side by side. The door opens, and Atsumu steps out and turns to face Shouyou.

"Good night, Shouyou-kun."

"Good night, Atsumu-san."

As he walks out, Atsumu thinks about trust and having someone by your side, thinks about what it’s like to prove yourself and grow. Atsumu thinks about now, and he holds Shouyou's words in his hands as he heads home.

* * *

They take turns visiting each other's places after that.

Around every other week, Shouyou will head over to Atsumu's apartment, or Atsumu will head over to Shouyou's apartment, and they'll cook for each other. Or well, Shouyou cooks and Atsumu bakes.

It's not that he can't cook. He isn't Osamu, but Atsumu knows his way around a kitchen and does pretty well. It's that Shouyou can't bake, and he's probably better at cooking than Atsumu is. Or maybe Atsumu just really likes Shouyou's cooking. Who can tell, really?

They try and teach each other during these visits though.

Shouyou teaches him which foods pair best with one another. They roast vegetables and prepare meat to serve with rice. It's all stuff Atsumu is pretty familiar with, especially since he grew up with Osamu, but Shouyou is a lot more patient than Osamu though. He teaches Atsumu how to make soups and stews, something Atsumu doesn't have a whole lot of patience for.

("Really, Atsumu-san? You can wait for dough to proof, but you can't wait for everything to stew in a pot for a few hours?

"S-shut up!")

In return, Atsumu teaches him a few basics. They bake a few cakes and muffins, and he even goes over pancakes.

("Yer not supposed to overmix, Shou-kun."

"Wha- but there's lumps!"

"And that's fine."

"But you said I should mix until there aren't lumps in cake batter!"

"Cake batter's different."

"Gwauh!")

He learns that Shouyou's a natural when it comes to cookies ("Holy shit, these are so good.") and not a natural with practically everything else. His hands tend to overheat a lot (he's _so warm_ ) so anything that needs the butter to stay cold doesn't work out too well.

Sometimes, they stay over.

They've each got their own toothbrushes at each other's places, and Shouyou's got his own apron hanging on a hook in the kitchen, even though he prefers to go without one.

Atsumu can't think of when he's spent this much time with someone that isn't Osamu, and he's surprised by how much it doesn't scare him.

He tells Osamu this one day when he's mooching off of his brother again for lunch on his day off. Or well, he mentions it.

"Yeah, so Shou-kun's been gettin' me to make soup. And miso is easy, but makin' stock is such a pain! I gotta wait for everything to boil and let the flavour develop and ugh it sucks, but the final product is goo-"

"Shou-kun? When did that happen?"

"Uhh, whaddya mean?"

Osamu looks like he’s got the urge to roll his eyes, and Atsumu shrinks into his hoodie and fiddles with the string.

"A few weeks ago, I guess? We've been takin' turns making dinner every other week."

Osamu hums as he's shaping rice between his hands, and Atsumu feels his hackles rise.

"Why? Ya got a problem with it?"

"Oh shut it, 'Sumu. I don't got a problem with the two of ya. Just be careful. Can't be losin' my supplier because my brother is an idiot."

He pushes a plate of onigiri in front of Atsumu before he can complain, and he begrudgingly shoves it in his mouth.

"Yer far gone now, aren't ya?"

"Fuck off, 'Samu."

Atsumu is pretty far gone, but he won't admit that out loud. Not yet, at least.

* * *

Now, Atsumu's propensity for speaking without thinking usually gets him into trouble. Sometimes it's not even that bad, but he always curses himself out later, and if Osamu finds out about it, the teasing is immense.

So, Atsumu figures that's what's going to happen when he doesn't think before opening his stupid mouth and offers for Shouyou to come home with him for Christmas.

"Huh?"

_Fuck._

"Uhh, well! Ya said ya wouldn't have the time to go home for Christmas right? Me and 'Samu are gonna go home for the weekend, so ya could tag along. If ya want?"

God. Who the fuck invites their friend, especially a friend they're crushing on, like full blown crushing maybe even a bit in love with, to their family home for the holidays? Who the fuck does that? He can hear Osamu say "idiots, like you," and he wants the Earth to pull him under just to shut himself up.

"Oh, I'd like that."

Wait. Maybe don't pull him down yet.

"If you don't mind, that is? I don't want to be any trouble!"

Holy fuck.

"Ya won't be! Besides, we could always use an extra hand when cookin'. And Kita-san's coming over, so ya could meet him."

"I'd love to! I can also bring some stuff to help with dinner!"

"Shou-kun, ya really don't have t-"

"But I want to! And you and Osamu-san have been so good to me. It's the least I can do for intruding on your family."

"I'm tellin' ya, Shou-kun. Yer not intrudin', but if ya insis-"

"Yes!"

"Okay. Ya can stay over at my place tomorrow, and we'll head over on Christmas Eve."

"Thank you, Atsumu-san!"

"Y-yeah. Anytime."

Well, shit. He's going to have to tell Osamu and call his mom to tell them to expect another person. Fuck.

He ignores the grin Osamu seems to be constantly sporting on his face in favour of helping Shouyou with all the goods he insists on bringing.

("I can't show up empty handed, Atsumu-san!")

Osamu likes to take his car back to Hyogo so they can fill up on any goodies they want to bring back from home, so Atsumu loads all of Shouyou's stuff into the trunk. The drive isn't too long, but Atsumu finds himself lulled to sleep by it anyway. He dozes off for a bit, but Shouyou's up the whole time talking to Osamu. He should probably be a bit more worried about what Osamu could say but fuck he's so tired. He'll just have to ask Shouyou about it later.

Atsumu jolts awake when the car comes to a stop, and they're in front of their childhood home. He steps out and stretches, groaning at the achiness in his back. When he turns around, he's met with a blushing Shouyou.

"Everything okay, Shou-kun? Ya lookin' a bit red."

"I'm fine! Everything's fine!"

He rushes to the back of the car to help unload, and Atsumu is left a bit confused. He heads over to help and completely misses Osamu rolling his eyes off to the side.

They bring everything into the house and Shouyou meets his mom in the kitchen. He notices Shouyou fidgeting, and he figures his mom does too when she walks over and pulls him into a hug, giving him some time to avoid it if he wants to. His nerves dissipate when he talks to her about the food he's brought and working with her sons, and Atsumu smiles at the sight.

Their mom tells Osamu to go take a nap since they have some time before lunch, and Shouyou offers to help his mom. He leans against the counter and watches his mom and Shouyou get acquainted while cooking.

"Oh Atsumu, ya've brought home a boy with such good manners. Even better than yers," she snickers.

"Ma!"

He's sent to go wake up Osamu, who fights him before waking up, and comes back down to see a mildly nervous Shouyou and his mom with a knowing smile. Atsumu's confused as hell (what's up with Osamu and his mom?), but he figures he'll spare Shouyou the embarrassment of asking.

Lunch is a simple affair. They're quick to scarf down the food, especially Osamu. Atsumu washes the dishes after they're done, with Osamu drying, and they get ready to head out to pick up Kita.

Shouyou's heard plenty about Kita from Osamu before Atsumu even met him. He raves about the rice that Osamu serves whenever he has the chance, and honestly, Atsumu can't blame him. It's damn good rice. He can tell that Shouyou's pretty excited to meet him.

The drive to Kita's farm isn't the easiest if you're not familiar with the area, but Osamu makes it with ease. They greet Kita's grandmother first at their house before heading out onto the field to see him. Osamu runs out first, pressing a kiss to Kita's head in greeting. Shouyou's twitching a little beside him, but his nerves seem to dissipate when he's in front of Kita, and he greets him with the brightest smile. Even Kita melts a little in front of it, and Atsumu's chest aches at the sight. Kita gives them a brief tour, mostly for Shouyou's sake, before letting Osamu take Shouyou through the rest of it and leaving Atsumu with Kita.

Now he finds himself fidgeting.

"So that's Shouyou-kun."

"Yeah."

"He's nice."

"Yeah."

He can hear the chatter between Shouyou and Osamu from a few rows away. He lets the breeze blow through, ruffling his hair and making him shove his hands deeper into his pockets. It always feels colder when he's back home. Atsumu can feel Kita looking at him. He's always felt this sense of unease when being scrutinised, but he knows Kita means well and is always looking out for him. He wills his shoulders to relax, and he takes a deep breath before exhaling.

"He's good for ya."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asks, a little exasperated. It feels like he's been asking that a lot lately. He looks up and is met with Kita's blank stare, so he averts his gaze and looks back down.

"Yer not dumb Atsumu-kun. I know ya know what I mean."

He fidgets and nods.

"He probably feels the same about ya. I think it'd be best if ya told him ya felt the same way too."

Kita walks off where Osamu and Shouyou are before Atsumu can even begin to ask how he'd even know. What's up with his family and Kita ganging up on him? What did he do to deserve being clowned on?

Once they're all together, they start to make their way back to the car, Osamu and Kita hand in hand while Shouyou skips over to Atsumu.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah!"

Kita takes over the front seat, so Atsumu slides into the back with Shouyou. He chooses to look out the window as Osamu and Kita catch up, his eyes trying to focus on the haze of trees and fields as they drive by. He feels a light tap on his hand and looks over to see Shouyou staring at him.

"Yeah?" he asks.

"Thank you for inviting me, Atsumu-san." His eyes are bright and soft, and Atsumu melts a little at the warmth that it fills him.

"Of course. Anytime," he says, and it feels like a promise that he wants to keep.

Shouyou's hand lingers by his in the space between their seats, and their pinkies touch just the slightest. He can feel the warmth radiating even from just a single finger. Atsumu's going to die. He's going to die from the slightest touch of Shouyou's finger, and it will be a wonderful death. Moments pass as Atsumu struggles to not look like he's about to have a stroke, and he feels Shouyou link their pinkies together. His eyes shift to the side and see Shouyou resolutely looking out the window. Atsumu leans against his other hand, his face burning and his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. Shouyou holds life in his hands. Everything he touches is filled with his warmth and care, and they’re able to prosper under his attention, under his touch. Atsumu is alive, has been for over two decades, but he feels electrified, like his life is loved and cared for. The warmth in his hands grows at an alarming rate, but it doesn’t seem to faze Shouyou. Instead, he seems to angle his body closer, chasing after the warmth. Atsumu feels so tenderly seen, and he could probably cry if he thinks too hard about it. He squeezes his pinky just the slightest and his heart nearly stops when Shouyou squeezes his pinky in return.

Atsumu decides on just looking straight ahead, but that's a bit of a mistake. He sees Kita giving him a knowing smile in the visor mirror and notices the quirk of Osamu's mouth in his side profile. He's a little embarrassed, but that won't stop him from riding this high. Atsumu feels like his skin is burning, but fuck if this isn't the best feeling.

The rest of the day is dedicated to making dinner. Osamu's in charge of dinner and its various courses, while Atsumu's in charge of dessert. Osamu and Atsumu shoo their mother out of the kitchen, telling her to rest while they handle it. As they start, Kita and Shouyou take turns helping out with whatever they need and also spend some time with their mother.

Atsumu is mostly off to the side since he doesn't need as much space. He's watching Kita and Osamu look in wonder and the things Shouyou's brought to make dinner. He smiles at the wonder and feels a puff of pride at the fact that they seem to think Shouyou is as amazing as he does. Atsumu catches Shouyou's eye as he's making some suggestions about how best to use the ingredients, and he smiles widely at him before turning his attention back to Osamu and Kita. Atsumu swears he's got butterflies in his stomach as he finishes up with the cake batter. He's giddy and infatuated, and he feels like he's walking on air.

When Shouyou shows up beside him while he's icing and decorating the cake, Atsumu presses against him, relishing in the warmth Shouyou radiates. He feels him push back against them, and Atsumu bites his lip to keep the smile forming from taking over his whole face.

_Tonight,_ he thinks. He'll say something tonight.

Dinner is a lively affair with the five of them gathered around a table that's usually meant for four. Osamu's cooked up a whole feast with Kita and Shouyou's help (and partially Atsumu, but he mostly argued with Osamu instead of helping). They clean up almost all of the dishes, and they definitely eat up the rice that Kita brought over. Kita and Shouyou help wash up after they're done eating. Osamu helps boil the water to get the tea ready, and Atsumu brings out the chocolate cake he made (with a little help from Shouyou).

Atsumu's flushes from the compliments his mom and Kita give him after taking one bite. He sees the way that Osamu's eyes flutter when he takes his first bite, and he takes that for the compliment it is. Shouyou, however, never fails to make Atsumu feel like he's made the best fucking person in the world. He grabs a second slice, only after making sure everyone else gets seconds too, and tells everyone about all the things Atsumu's made for him and that he's got to try.

Atsumu's leaning against his hand with a dopey grin, but he still blushes when he catches the three of them looking at him with a glint in their eyes. He tries to keep his eyes trained on Shouyou though, and he takes in the excitement and softness in his eyes.

Yeah, Atsumu's far gone. He'll admit it now.

Their mom has the guest room set up for Shouyou. Kita and Osamu are sharing their old room, and Atsumu's got the futon set up in the living room. Shouyou offers to switch, but Atsumu held firm on staying in the living room. Osamu tries to suggest that they share the guest room, but Atsumu's got a hand over his mouth and smothers Osamu with a pillow before he can even get it out.

They say their good nights, and everyone goes to get settled in. Atsumu's lying in his futon with his mind kicked into overdrive thinking about Shouyou being upstairs and a few feet away. He stayed over at Atsumu's place yesterday, but Atsumu was so tired from work that he passed out right away. He's too wired right now to sleep and that leaves him overthinking.

He knows he said tonight or at least thought about saying something tonight. He wants to say something, thought about doing it earlier before they all said good night, but his mom and Osamu and Kita were everywhere all the time, and then they all went off to their rooms and it'd be weird to linger, right? He didn't want to be creepy about it, and knowing Osamu, if he saw Atsumu linger, he'd try to tease and embarrass him and shit.

But he wants it to be tonight. Confessing on a holiday is such a cliche, but he doesn't want to hold it in any longer. Saying it too early would have felt forced, like he didn't let his feelings develop properly before letting them out. But he also doesn't want to say it too late. Too late and it's lukewarm and Shouyou's moved on or doesn't even care. Now feels right though. He's gonna do it. He kicks off the blanket and barely makes it out of the living room when he bumps right into something, or someone rather.

"Ah! Sorry, Atsumu-san!"

"Shou-kun? What are you doing still up?"

He can see him in the low light of the nightlight in the corner of the room. He looks flushed, even then.

"Oh, I-uh- wanted to talk to you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I wanted to say thank you. For letting me come home with you and Osamu-san. It's been really nice. Your mom is really kind and Kita-san is wonderful."

Shouyou worries his bottom lip between his teeth, and Atsumu resists the urge to tug it free with his fingers and soothe it.

"I'm really grateful for you, Atsumu-san."

Now it's Atsumu's turn to be flushed. His heart is hammering in his chest, and he feels like he can't breathe. This is it.

"I'm really grateful for you too, Shouyou-kun."

Shouyou's looking up at him, the space between them so small that he could bend down and kiss him. He feels his breath, warm and minty and sweet, against his face, and Atsumu is so drawn to him.

"Atsumu-san."

"Y-yes?"

"I'm going to kiss you, okay?"

Atsumu feels himself turn hot from his head to his toes.

"Uh- yeah!"

God what a fucking idiot. Who says that when the love of their life is about to kiss them? How stup-

_Oh._

Shouyou's lips are warm and a little wet—they press against his softly, with a bit of pressure. Atsumu tilts his head to the side, and Shouyou pushes a bit more, their lips sliding together.

It's _perfect._

They pull apart for a moment, and they smile at each other before Shouyou kisses him again. He applies more pressure, running his tongue against the seam of Atsumu's lips. When Atsumu's mouth opens, Shouyou grazes his teeth against Atsumu's bottom lip and sucks his tongue into his mouth. Atsumu clutches at Shouyou's shirt and pulls him closer. When his hands slide underneath Shouyou's shirt, he warms them up to run against his back. He feels Shouyou's hand clutch the hair at the base of his head, and he moans into their kiss.

Atsumu pulls back sheepishly, placing a chaste kiss on his lips before hugging Shouyou against him and nuzzling his face into his neck.

"Sorry. I got carried away."

"It's fine."

They stay standing like that for a few more moments, their bodies slightly swaying.

"I would ask to stay with you, but I think that's too much considering I just kissed you in your mom's home."

"Please stay."

"Atsumu-san. Think about what Osamu-san and Kita-san will think."

"Fuck 'em."

"Atsumu-san, I'd rather you do that with me," he pouts.

Atsumu swears his brain short-circuits in that moment, and he's pulled back into the present by Shouyou's laugh.

"Sorry, too much?"

"No, never too much."

They sway for a few moments more before Shouyou pulls away.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Okay, Atsumu-san?"

He grumbles before nodding. Shouyou laughs again, and Atsumu can't fake being grumpy when he hears that. Shouyou leans up on his toes and kisses him on the cheek.

"Good night, Atsumu-san."

"Good night Shou-kun."

He waits until he can't hear footsteps anymore before shoving his face into his pillow and squealing (just a bit).

_Tonight,_ he thinks. He smiles so wide that his cheeks hurt and his eyes crinkle.

Tonight was perfect.

* * *

The weekly special is a berry tart.

It's well into winter, and berries aren't really in season anymore, but Atsumu doesn't really care. He's got a source of inspiration after all.

There's a whole assortment of berries that he picked up from Shouyou's place yesterday. There are reds and blues and purples that remind Atsumu of summer. On the wooden workspace sits the dough for the crust, perfectly laminated and chilled. He warms up the rolling pin in his hands and dusts it with flour to keep it from sticking. The sheet of dough is laid over the tart tin, and he gently pushes it in to fill every nook and cranny. Atsumu grabs a fork and pricks the dough. He's got the berry mixture in a bowl with a bit of lemon zest and juice to make it bright, but he also adds some dark brown sugar and spices to warm it up. Atsumu plucks a blueberry and tosses it into his mouth for a taste, and he folds everything together while adjusting with a few more dashes of spices. He scrapes the mixture into the tin, and with a sprinkle of sugar on top, he places it in the oven and waits.

The timer goes off, and he's got the tart out of the oven and glazes it with an apricot glaze before cooling it down and setting it on the counter. Atsumu eases it out of the tin and cuts it into slices before putting it in the display case. Each slice sits on a doily, and the rich blues and reds and purples catch in the sun with a bright sheen.

Rinse and repeat.

He's got thirty-two slices ready to be sold by the time it's 8:00. Ami flips the sign on the door to 'open' and gets the water boiled and ready for drinks. The bell above the door chimes, and Atsumu's got a grin on his face when he shouts, "Welcome!"

He's met with bright eyes and a head of orange hair shoved under a cap. He walks over to the counter and leans over to kiss Atsumu quickly before pulling back.

"What do you have for today?"

"Berry tart. Made it with the berries I got from ya yesterday. Want one?"

"Yes, please."

"Black tea, too?"

"Yeah."

Atsumu's quick to get a slice on the plate warmed up and ready to go. Shouyou starts work at 9:00, but he likes to show up early to spend some time with Atsumu. He’s thinking about asking Shouyou to come with him to prep just so they can spend a few extra hours together, but he’ll save that for another time. He warms up a mug of tea in his hands and places everything on the tray before walking out to his seat by the window. Atsumu lays out everything in front of Shouyou and takes a seat across from him while Ami works the front. He watches as Shouyou's excitement dances across his face as he takes the first bite.

His eyes flutter close, and the slightest moan comes out ( _stop thinking about it,_ he wills himself).

"How is it?"

Shouyou's eyes open, and he looks at Atsumu with the fondest smile.

"It's so good, Atsumu-san! Everything is always good."

He listens to Shouyou tell him about his plans for the day (a few deliveries, including one for Osamu, and then back to tending to his plants), and he offers up the details of what he'll be making in the coming hours (cream puffs and an assortment of cakes that’ll be sliced up and ready for display). Atsumu laughs at the whines he gets in response.

"Oh stop it. Ya know I can make it for ya whenever ya want."

"I know! But I like coming here to surprise you and buy stuff."

He tries not to let his face show how pleased he is to hear that.

"Yer comin' over tonight, right?"

"Yeah! I'll meet you here when you close?"

"That works."

Shouyou lights up at that, and Atsumu has to look away. Shouyou laughs and gathers his stuff and brings it back to the front and hands it off to Ami.

"Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble, Ami-chan!"

"Of course, that's my job, Shouyou-kun."

Atsumu's protests are quickly shut down by a kiss.

"See you later."

"See ya, Shou-kun."

He waves as Shouyou heads out and makes his way back behind the counter. Atsumu thinks about making bread tonight and proving it overnight to bake in the morning. Having fresh bread with some eggs sounds nice, and he hopes Shouyou will think so too. Atsumu hopes he’ll find it in himself to invite Shouyou to stay the night again. He kind of hopes they’ll be spending more nights together.

He thinks about early mornings and waking up next to someone who takes up his thoughts every day, morning and night. The sun peeking through the window and washing him in a golden light that makes him glow brighter than what Atsumu thinks should be legally possible. Atsumu wants to kiss Shouyou good night and kiss him good morning, for Shouyou to be the first and last person he talks to every day. He’s being sappy, but fuck it, he thinks he’s allowed that. He’s allowed to be happy.

Atsumu thinks about his shop, about his brother, and about the person who meets his excitement and enthusiasm and enables it. He’s not alone, never has been, but he feels that that’s especially true now.

The door swings open to reveal another customer, and he yells out, “Welcome!” He warms up and hands over a berry tart, and the customer smiles and thanks him. He sells out three hours before closing, and Atsumu makes a mental note to tell Shouyou about it tonight when he hands over the last slice.

**Author's Note:**

> in my haste, I forgot to mention that you can find me on [twitter.](https://twitter.com/herondaze) i'm not an hq account, but i'd love to hear from you if you'd like to chat!


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